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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22398085">DataGreeting.EXE</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fauxstales/pseuds/Fauxstales'>Fauxstales</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>DataGreeting.exe [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Kingdom Hearts</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Compliant, M/M, Re:Mind Limit cut, data pining, i guess lol, post kh3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-01-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-01-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 09:48:03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,337</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22398085</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fauxstales/pseuds/Fauxstales</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A conversation with @green_eggs101 had me thinkin' about sad pining Riku and what would happen if that Data Sora avatar in the Limit Cut episode could actually interact with him...</p><p>Enjoy the random silliness (with a side of melancholy)!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Riku &amp; Sora (Kingdom Hearts)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>DataGreeting.exe [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1632391</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>122</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>DataGreeting.EXE</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p>Riku had told Cid that he wanted to come in early the next day to help look for more clues within the universal data. Granted he had also been working through most of the night before already, but the grizzled engineer wasn’t one to judge. He knew all too well the sleepless nights that accompanied the long hours you pull when your heart’s really in something. The rush of excitement when an epiphany comes in unexpected ways; the feeling of accomplishment when the gears turn just right and everything clicks into place. </p><p> </p><p>So it was without reservations when he’d dropped the keys to the house in Riku’s hands and waved a silent farewell. </p><p> </p><p>The kid was well overdue for his breakthrough. </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Tired, practiced fingers danced over the keys of the device, the whirring and buzzing of electric circuits like a sad chorus in the stillness of the room. Riku watched with eyes half-glazed as the screen flared to life. Despite the apparent “advanced technology” of Ansem’s computer, the constant glitching betrayed its age. Static horizontal lines scrolling ever upwards was a far cry compared to the bright and crisp resolution of the Gummiphone he had in his pocket. </p><p> </p><p>Still, shotty graphics were a small price to pay to see the face of the boy he missed so terribly staring back at him. With a few blunt taps to the monitor and after what felt like a century of booting up, the Data Analysis system loaded on the homescreen. The ominous doorways leading to the closest thing to torture that Cid could create loomed in the background. Riku’s eyebrows lowered as he noticed one of the keyholes still shone a bright blue amidst the row of pink. </p><p> </p><p>Xion would never let him live it down if she knew that he hadn’t beaten her Data Analysis yet. </p><p> </p><p>She’d have to wait for another day. He’d spent the better part of a week playing and replaying all the previous battles as he searched for clues, breaks within the system, hoping that memories stored within these fabricated interactions would hold the key to finding the real Sora. </p><p> </p><p>For now he’d make do with the alternative. His avatar, “Data Sora” as they called him, stood idle, his arms laced behind his head identical to the way <em> he </em>always used to. </p><p>Riku sighed and moved the controller over to the central console within the Garden of Assemblage, triggering it to enter into the Data Greeting feature. </p><p> </p><p>It was the perfect escape. </p><p> </p><p>Thanks to the whole crew at Radiant Garden, untold hours of his time had been logged into this program. With an expansive catalog of familiar friends, enemies, and effects to apply into elaborate compositions, the possibilities were seemingly endless. Leon and the others had suggested recreating iconic events they’d had along their journey, believing it would somehow reawaken whatever was sleeping within the data. Aerith and Yuffie were notorious for putting the Organization members in hilarious scenarios, doing their best to make light of their current situation. Riku would offer a smile and play along, but the smile never really reached his eyes. </p><p> </p><p>When he was alone, however, was when Riku let himself dream...Let himself wish for what could have been. Going back to the Destiny Islands with Kairi, seeing his Dream Eaters again, traveling the worlds alongside friends, going to visit the sights of San Fransokyo just like he’d wanted to….</p><p> </p><p>With Sora. </p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>It was little more than instinct for Riku now to navigate the files until he found his favorite location: Sora’s Heart station. He booted up a new scenario, never comfortable with deleting his previous saves, and let his mind wander while he waited. He’d traveled to this place in person several times before this, used the power of waking to bring<em> him </em>home, so it logically seemed the most likely place to find what they were missing here. Still, for all his searching, he’d come up short. </p><p> </p><p>What else was new? </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Riku had always wondered why Cid had labeled the program “Data Greeting”. For all he could tell, there was little if any “greeting” aspect to it. So he was admittedly startled when the program opened and Sora’s face, clear and surprisingly close, was staring back at him with<em> his </em>iconic, wide-toothed grin. </p><p> </p><p>“Good morning, Riku! You’re up early!”</p><p> </p><p>Riku physically jerked his hands away from the console, eyes wide and mouth agape for a few seconds before his stunned silence was interrupted by laughter that nearly brought those feelings he kept so deep inside from spilling out. </p><p> </p><p>“What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a Heartless!”</p><p> </p><p>“S-Sora…?”</p><p> </p><p>His smile grew wider, cheerfully waving back, beckoning Riku to come closer, which the boy obeyed unconsciously. </p><p> </p><p>“Sora, how are you-?”</p><p> </p><p>“Of all the users, you’re the one who’s here the most and you still don’t know? Wow, Riku, I’m hurt!”</p><p> </p><p>Users. Right. This was all just data: the fights, the scenes, all of it. This Sora wasn’t any different. Yet the tiny voice wouldn’t shut-up in the back of his head. </p><p> </p><p>Sora was Sora, no matter what form he took. </p><p> </p><p>The Sora within this system was a collection of information combined from everyone’s efforts, everyone’s hearts who had been connected to the <em> real </em>Sora. </p><p> </p><p>Maybe he could let himself listen just this once. </p><p> </p><p>“Earth to Riku-!”</p><p> </p><p>Riku’s focus shifted back to the now very impatient avatar of his best friend, comically large shoes tapping the stained glass of his heart station. </p><p> </p><p>“Sorry, it’s just...You know, nevermind.” The small hint of a smile snuck its way across his lips. </p><p>“Good morning, Sora.”</p><p> </p><p>Data Sora’s expression instantly changed, delighted eyes looking up to meet Riku’s as he pumped a fist in the air. </p><p> </p><p>“That’s more like it!”</p><p> </p><p>He lifted his hand up to his forehead over his eyes to glance around the screen, standing on his tip-toes to get a better view. </p><p> </p><p>“Just you today? Where’s everyone else?”</p><p> </p><p>“They’ll be over later. It’s just me for now.”</p><p> </p><p>This news seemed to please the spite as he dropped back down to a normal height. </p><p> </p><p>“Great! I wanted to talk with you anyway.”</p><p> </p><p>Riku blinked, leaning in closer to the monitor, the pale blue hues of the screen glinting off the silver strands of his bangs that were getting far too long again. He made a mental note that he should get them cut soon--Olette, it turned out, was an impressive stylist. </p><p> </p><p>“Me?”</p><p> </p><p>“Do you see any OTHER Rikus around here?”</p><p> </p><p>Despite his urge to point out that there were, in fact, at least three other ‘Rikus’ within the program that Data Sora inhabited, he resisted and instead let out fond huff. Data Sora grinned in triumph and placed his hands behind his head, tilting it to the side thoughtfully.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, I guess there are a few, but three of them aren’t very talkative and the one who is just keeps yelling at me. Not the best for conversation. Anyway…”</p><p> </p><p>Data Sora returned to a neutral position, concern evident even in his synthetic voice. </p><p> </p><p>“I wanted to ask what’s on your mind? You’ve been making a lot of the same scene lately.”</p><p> </p><p>Riku’s heart nearly stopped as realization dawned on him that <em> of course </em>this Sora would know about all of his creations. All the scenes he’d placed his friends in, the scenes he’d placed himself with Sora in.</p><p> </p><p>All of them. </p><p> </p><p>A tinge of red dusted his cheeks as his eyes shifted nervously off to the side. </p><p> </p><p>“O-Oh?? Which one is that…?”</p><p> </p><p>Maybe convincing himself that this Sora was no different rom his own wasn’t a wise idea after all. Thankfully Data Sora seemed to be just as obvious about his intentions as his real-world counterpart. </p><p> </p><p>“That city scene at night! You know, the one from Toy Box?”</p><p> </p><p>A vivid image flashed in his mind’s eye. A cityscape with glittering lights, tall buildings stretching to the sky and one in particular with two pillars standing parallel. He had seen it so many times before, a reoccuring dream with no true resolution. Just endless searching for something precious he’d lost. </p><p> </p><p>That and the unshakeable feeling that he was being watched. </p><p> </p><p>His silence was obviously causing Data Sora some distress, as he could almost feel his expectant gaze burning into him. Riku eventually shook his head, offering what reassurance he could with a forced smile. </p><p> </p><p>“It’s nothing really. Just a dream that I’ve been having that involves looking for So--”</p><p> </p><p>Riku stopped short. How aware was Cid’s reconstruction? Would he know that he was merely a recreation of an existing person? How would it feel about simply being a means to an end? </p><p> </p><p>“For the real Sora, you mean.”</p><p> </p><p>Data Sora swayed steadily from side to side, moving in time to a song only he could hear. </p><p> </p><p>“Don’t worry, I know that I’m not who you’re really looking for. I’m just an archive of his memories; a collection of his connections with all of you.”</p><p> </p><p>There was a short pause before the screen glowed brighter, the dashboard moving all on its own to exit the current location and select another. </p><p>Riku’s fingers hovered above the keyboard but he allowed Data Sora to take the reigns. He watched as the screen faded out before revealing a place all too familiar to him now. </p><p> </p><p>His Sora had told him about Verum Rex, an action adventure video game within one of the worlds in which the main character looked suspiciously like Riku. When the notification had popped up on his Gummiphone from Sora’s tag on Kingstagram, he’d even had to do a double-take at the likeness. This location within the Data Greeting was supposedly taken straight from it; another remnant of Sora’s travels to save the world from Xehanort’s evil for good. </p><p> </p><p>Data Sora stood along the outside edge of the arena, glancing behind him out to the far off city in the backdrop. Lifting his hand up to chest height, he summoned a small transparent window in front of him. He scrolled through the attributes until a glimmer of particles shot upwards beside him and a data version of Riku appeared. There was something strangely intimate in how the avatar moved of its own accord to place the model Riku in the position he’d attempted to recreate so many times before. He flicked his eyes away for a moment, embarrassed, returning to see a nearly complete reproduction.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re always looking up to those tall buildings,” Data Sora began, “hoping to find him.” </p><p> </p><p>He paused his actions to stare up at the Data Riku, whose sad expression 03 plainly told the truth of how the real Riku felt. Data Sora lifted his hand up to the Riku's chest, placing it over where his heart should be. Subconsciously, Riku felt his own hand lift to mirror the action, as if to trace what semblance of a connection he could with the digital copy. That Riku, however, was nothing but a model, created from the ones and zeros that wove themselves into likenesses the users wanted to see. </p><p> </p><p>Perhaps it was just the stuttering of the monitor, but Riku could have sworn he saw something glistening off of Data Sora’s cheek. </p><p> </p><p>“But you’ve been looking in all the wrong places! The Key...It’s closer than you think.” </p><p> </p><p>His own words repeated back to him in that voice caught Riku off guard and sent his mind reeling. It was all he could do to retain his composure and spot the knowing wink Data Sora gave him. </p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“Trust in your dreams, Riku. They’ll lead you to where you need to be. But don’t lose yourself in them. The real me’s out there somewhere, but he might not be the same way you remember him now...The way you see me now. Don’t lose sight of what’s important chasing the past; the future is just a sleep away!” </p><p> </p><p>“Sora…”</p><p> </p><p>The screen flashed a warm shade of pink, Data Sora presembly changing the filter to give the once melancholic scene a peaceful tone. Even the Riku model’s face had changed to a more content expression, arms open to accept the Data Sora avatar in as he stepped in to close the distance.. Riku thought the glitter effects that had been added around them there a bit much, but that didn’t stop him from quickly snapping a picture while he could. </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Just then, the telltale click of the doorknob turning pulled Riku out of his daze. He spun around, spreading his body out wide in hopes to cover up the screen’s incriminating evidence. Into the room stepped Cid, quickly followed by Yuffie, Aerith, and Leon, who began filing into the room in the middle of a heated argument. </p><p> </p><p>“I TOLD you, it’s MY turn to try and beat it!”</p><p> </p><p>Yuffie insisted, placing both hands on her hips and leaning forward defiantly, eyebrows furrowed while she gazed up at the stoic man beside her. </p><p> </p><p>“You haven’t even beaten Larxene yet. How do you think you’ll handle Xion?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m a ninja!” She posed dramatically to drive her point home. “I’ve got skills you don’t even know about.” </p><p> </p><p>Stepping further into the room away from the two, Aerith was the first to spot Riku and placed her fingertips together in delight. </p><p> </p><p>“Oh, Riku! Good morning! Cid said you’d be here early. Find anything interesting in the data?”</p><p> </p><p>Riku was certain that his face must have been a few dozen shades redder than usual from how hot it felt, but to his relief, when he looked back the monitor had returned to the initial boot-up menu, doors and all. Maybe his sleep-deprived state hat just fabricated the entire interaction? He intently studied Data Sora standing with his back to the camera, stuck in what seemed like an endless loop of repeated animations. </p><p> </p><p>He breathed out a shaky sigh and stood taller to address the rest of the crew properly. </p><p> </p><p>“Nothing out of the ordinary. Who wants to try and beat our last data battle today?”</p>
<hr/><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <em> Trust in my dreams, huh? What do you think, Sora?   </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><div class="children module" id="children">
  <b class="heading">Works inspired by this one:</b>
  <ul>
    <li>
        <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22402204">Ones &amp; Zeros</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/greeneggs101/pseuds/greeneggs101">greeneggs101</a>
    </li>
  </ul>
</div></div></div>
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